Xbox One New Details: Play as You Download Depends On Game, Custom Voice Commands, Adding New IR Codes

Find out more about the intricacies of the Xbox One.

It’s November at last and the Google Nexus 5 is here at last. However, we’ve still got a few weeks to go before the release of the Xbox One. So how about some new details on how much of a digital game you need to download before being able to play it, home theatre set-ups and whether Kinect will support custom voice commands?

All these details come by way of a confirmed Xbox One dev on Reddit (some of you may know him better from here). When a user asked how long it would take for digital games to install, it was pointed out that you can play games while they’re downloading, just like on the PS4. However, according to the dev, “It would depend on the game. I can’t tell you which ones but from what I’ve seen, some could be played after 15%, others had to go to 75%.”

The dev also outlined the ideal home theatre set-up for users. “PC -> X1 -> Receiver -> TV. This is the setup I’ve been using at home. I see no visible lag using the PC via HDMI in. The Xbox will turn on/off both receiver and TV after you go through TV/devices setup. Volume controls on the receiver are available via voice. I have not seen input switching via voice, though that might get added.”

It has also been revealed that the voice commands for Kinect are currently fixed, and you won’t be able to add your own…at least, that’s what the current scenario seems to be. “Currently the voice commands are fixed. I don’t think we’ll implement custom voice commands. I don’t know. Volume control is a preset amount. On my receiver, it goes up or down 1 dB. This might change as we determine other methods.”

In regards to IR codes, the dev stated that, “We have codes for almost every major brand of TVs, AV receivers, cable boxes etc., including different models. Most manufacturers use the same IR code for all their models of a specific type of device. However, there currently isn’t a means for the device to learn new IR codes. I don’t have a list of all types of devices supported but currently, there’s no ability to record new codes.”

The Xbox One will launch on November 22nd across 13 territories worldwide. What are your thoughts on these new details? Let us know in the comments below.